Improvement in grain-separators



WIRTS & SWIFT.

Grain Separator.

No. 58,707. Patented Oct 9, 1866.

O OGOO O0 1 OOGQO OOO UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE I S. M. VVIRTS AND F.SIVIFT, OF MEDINA, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-SEPARATOR S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,707. dated October9, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, S. M. WIRTS and F. SWIFT, of Medina, in the countyof Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Separators; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, A representsthe frame of the machine, which may be constructed in any of the knownand usual ways. B represents the fan.

At one end of the fan-shaft there is gearing provided for driving saidshaft, and at the other end-there is a disk with a pin placed upon itsface near its periphery, which said pin plays in a slot in one end of abar, E.

P represents a bar which runs crosswise of the machine, and which hasits hearings in the sides of the frame. One end of bar P has a tenon onit, which passes into a mortise in the bar E.

F represents a metallic collar on the bar P, which said collar isprovided with two arms, one extending above and the other below the saidbar P.

Connecting to the upper arm is a rod, G, which serves to impart motionto the main shoe 0; and connecting to the lower arm is a rod, H, whichserves to vibrate the lower screen, I.

0 represents the main shoe of the machine, which is provided with asupplemental shoe, D. The upper end of the shoe 0 is provided with aninclined bottom, R, and over this inclined bottom is arranged a finescreen, N. At the lower end of the bottom R is a seed-trough, L, thebottom of which is high in the center, but which inclines downward as itapproaches the sides of the shoe, where it has its outlets.

The fine seed, such as grass, &c., pass through screen N, fall uponbottom R, and from thence into trough L, and thence down its inclinedbottom to the outside of the machine.

The forward end of the shoe 0 rests upon or is supported by the springq, while its rear end is hung by the springs d (1.

In the center of the trough L is secured a small roller, m, and upon theunder and lower side of the screen Nis a metallic plate, with its underside shaped like an inverted V. This plate rests with itspeculiar-shaped under side upon the roller. When the trough vibrates, aswill be described, it serves-in this manner, through its roller, to givemotion to the screen N.

K represents a bar, shaped as shown, one end of which rests in anopening made to re ceive it in. the side of the frame. This bar ispivoted at its center to the shoe 0, and has its other end connected tothe spout or trough L. When the shoe vibrates this bar serves to give anend wise motion to the trough L.

Under the inner and upper side of the suppleinental shoe D is acarrier-board, c, and

above this carrier-board is a coarse wire sieve,

a. Connected to sieve to is still coarser screen or sieve I), made ofperforated zinc.

The inner ends of the shoe D are pivoted to the shoe 0 in such a mannerthat its outer end may be raised or lowered.

0 represents a rod which passes through the tail end of shoe 0, and isprovided with a thread and nut on one end. By tightening up the nutonthe rod 0, the supplemental shoe D is confined tight between the ends ofthe shoe 0, and is thus stationed at any desired angle or inclination.

I represents the lower screen, which lies with its outer end higher thanits inner. The inner end of this screen is supported by means of smallrollers on the inside of the frame A, while its outer end is supportedupon a rod, t, which said rod pl. ys in slots in the end ofthe frame A.

J represents set-screws, which serve to raise or lower the rod 17, andconsequently the outer end of screen I.

In operating this machine, motion is communicated to the shoe and lowerscreen, by means of the rods G and H, by the rocking or oscillating ofthe plate 1* upon the bar P. An endwise vibratory motion is thuscommunicated to the shoes. When the shoe U vibrates it gives, throughbar K, an endwise motion to the trough L, and said trough, with itsroller m, gives an up-and-down as well as a side vibration to the screenN.

The upper end of screen I is provided on its under side with small pins,which strike the rod 1' when said screen is vibrating, which serves togive the said screen a bounding motion.

The grain is placed in the hopper of this machine and passes to thescreen N, which vibrating, as has been described, causes all'of thesmall seed to pass through it, and thence through trough L out of themachine. The other grain passes onto the coarse wire sieve, which isdirectly before the blast. The heavy grain passes through this screenand falls upon the screen I below. The lighter grain, such as oats andsmall grains of wheat, pass on, being driven by the blast, to the zincscreen. The smaller or lighter grains of wheat pass through the openingsin the zinc screen, andthence onto the screen I, while the lighter grainof other kinds is still driven forward by the blast off of the saidscreen I) and out at the end of the machine.

It is very essential in the separatin g of grain to have a perforatedzinc or other metallic screen; but, as much of this kind of screen makesthe shoe heavy and unwieldy, we have found it best to combine a coarsewire screen with the zinc screen, as is here shown.

The trough L can be easily removed from the machine. In cleaning somekinds of grain, where it is necessary to have a direct blast, the troughis removed, and the machine will then clean the grain better and fasterthan it would were the said trough left in.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The movable shakiugspout or trough L, operated by means of the bar Kand shoe 0, substantially as herein specified.

2. The screens a and b as constructed and combined in the supplementalshoe, and with the carrier-board e, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the rod 0 with the main shoe and supplemental shoefor regulatin g the inclination of the latter, as and for the purposeset forth.

4. The employment of the rod i, in combination with the lower screen, I,for the purpose of adjusting the inclination of said screen andimparting a bounding motion to it, substantially as set forth.

5. The supplemental shoe pivoted at its inner end to the main shoe, soas to allow of adjustmentof its outer end, as and for the purposespecified.

As evidence that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsin the presence of two witnesses.

srnrnnn M. WIRTS. FRANK SWIFT.

Witnesses:

J. M. WooD, J. J. W001).

